For a while Sunday — before the Jets lost a wild 44-38 overtime decision to the Packers at MetLife Stadium — it looked as if their special teams would be a big reason for a defeat.
Three killer penalties, the worst of which was an illegal block in the back in the first quarter by Anthony Wint, who had just been signed off the practice squad, looked like they would be what cost the Jets.
Then suddenly the special teams put the Jets in position to win the game.
Wint forced a fumble on a kickoff that led directly to a Jets touchdown. Safety Rontez Miles, the upback on punts, executed a 4-yard first-down run on fourth-and-1 on a fake punt in the fourth quarter to keep a drive alive.
Kick returner Andre Roberts, who was just voted to the Pro Bowl, brought a kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Jets a 21-7 lead in the second quarter.
“It was a great call,’’ Roberts said. “I think I went untouched, so obviously the guys did a great job blocking. We knew the Packers were going to try to kick it a certain way and we just took advantage of it.’’
Later, after the Packers took a 38-25 lead with 1:12 remaining in regulation, Roberts returned a kickoff 51 yards to the Green Bay 38-yard line to set the Jets up for a Jason Myers game-tying field goal to send the game to overtime.
Roberts said he was surprised they kicked it to him and allowed another return in that situation.
“I don’t know what they were trying to do,’’ he said. “I was just hoping that they’d kick it to me.’’
With the kickoff-return touchdown, Roberts, who entered the game with a 26.8-yard kick return average and a 14.9-yard punt return average, became the first Jets player to score on a kick return, punt return and reception in the same season.
Roberts was quick to credit his blockers.
“It’s the guys,’’ he said. “I can’t do it by myself. The guys in front of me work so hard and they don’t get the same recognition that I do.’’